So...I'm new to Malifaux and I just bought the Open Graves Crew

[McMark]

After several years of demoing Malifaux at Gen Con, drooling over the models at the booth, and telling myself "I don't need to get into another miniature game," I've finally given in. 

Over the past few weeks, I've read the 2E rulebook, soaked in some hours listening to the Breachside Broadcast and purchased the 2E starter set. I've also painted the models and bribed my 9-year-old son into playing through the Encounters.

Now the kicker. I have finally settled on my first crew. Nicodem's Open Graves box. Mostly I wanted the punk zombies and the crew box seemed like a better deal than buying the 3 punk zombies on their own. Today I stumble over to the 3rd Edition post on Wyrd's website and see that Nicodem will be killed off, leaving him to fall into Dead Man's Hand.

How big of a deal will this be for me? If my local group plays casual games and a few tournaments from time-to-time, should I worry about building another list? If so, what are some ways I can use the other Open Graves models? Would I be wise to move over to McMourning or Molly (the other 2 I was considering before Nicodem)?

I appreciate any advice you could give me about me.

[(Keenan)]

I'd check with your local Henchman to see what the policy will be for Dead Man's Hand and if you get the OK, don't worry about.  They'll be supported with rules and cards etc and legal for casual games.  The only thing you may run into is some opponents practicing for tournaments that want to face tournament legal lists.  

[Adran]

It's a little early to say, but the general consensus is that most tournaments are planning to allow Dead man's hand models ( depending on how they actually are). So from that view point it should be fine, wyrd has said it intends for them to be as balanced as anything else. 

That said we don't really know how anything will play in the new edition, so it's hard to give suggestion for it. Punk zombies are likely to still be good at killing things. 

[Nikodemus]

4 hours ago, McMark said:

...should I worry about building another list?...

While there's certainly people who successfully build a (mostly) fixed list and play like that, way Malifaux has been designed is you first generate a game and then build your list to suit that. By the book only thing you decide beforehand is your faction. So having master options besides Nicodem is "intended" even when we're just eyeing 2e. That's before we even consider that some models are exclusive to crew boxes. Nico loves Philip who's only available in Molly box for instance.

All that is to say I think it'd be good for you to have "another list", eventually, even if there was no 3e on the horizon.

[McMark]

Great! I'll run what I've got until 3e hits and make adjustments from there. I appreciate all the comments. 

[Figgyfigs]

Nico's Punk Zombies are a great unit that nearly any Resser master can enjoy. You bought the box largely for the PZ's, as you said, so no harm done.

If you did want to look at other characters, I'd suggest Molly as a potential 2nd master. She can also summon undead minions (though not as many as Nico), and if you take her down her Horror path, she loves Punk Zombies. Lots of good matches there between the models you'll buy for these masters. Kentauroi, for example, go well with both.

Mortimer is also a useful henchman who can complement other masters outside of Nico. Molly, again, goes well with him.